Power steering mechanism



March 6, 1951 H. w. PRICE 2,544,041

POWER STEERING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 13, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'lINVENTOR. P3 #4501.5 MZ 10k/c6.

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March 6, 1951 H. w. PRICE 2,544,041

POWER STEERING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 1s, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 2VllllIll/Ill Patented Mar. 6, 1951 POWER STEERING MECHANISM Harold W.Price, Bradenton, Fla., assignmto Bendix Aviation Corporation, SouthBend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application December 13, 1945,Serial No. 634,853

This invention relates to a mechanism adaptable foruse as a part of thesteering mechanism of an automotive vehicle, said mechanism providing aneasily controlled means for effecting the steering operation; and theprincipal object of my invention is to provide in such a mechanism asimple and compact power take-off mechanism driven by the internalcombustion engine of the vehicle. f

Yet another object of my invention is to provide, in the steeringmechanism of an automotive vehicle, a power take-ofi mechanism operativeto provide a follow-up control whereby power means of said mechanism isautomatically cut out of operation, to arrest the turning movement ofthe steering wheels, when the driver arrests the turning movement of thesteering wheel in the steering operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide an eflicient and eiectivepower take-oi mechanism which may, if desired, be used as a part of thepower steering mechanism of an automotive vehicle, said mechanismincluding a plurality of gears in constant mesh, the operation of saidgears being in part controlled by a manually operated clutch mechanism.

Other objects and features of my invention will become apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view disclosing the principal features of thesteering mechanism of an automotive vehicle said mechanism including thepower take-off mechanism constituting my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view disclosing details ol the power take-offmechanism of my invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2,disclosing further details of the power take-oft' mechanism of myinvention; and

Figure 4 is a view disclosing the gear and sector for o-perating thepitman arm of the steering mechanism of Figure 1.

Referring now to the four gures of the drawings which disclose apreferred embodiment of my invention, one of the two interconnecteddirigible wheels of an automotive vehicle is indicated by the referencenumeral I and said wheel is actuated by a steering arm ll which is inturn actuated by a drag link l2.

My invention, that is the power take-off mech anism I6, of Figure 1, isemployed as a part of the steering mechanism interconnecting a steeringwheel operated shaft I4 and the drag link l2; and said mechanism isoperative to actuate the dirigible wheels solely by the power means ofthe mechanism or by the combined effort of said power means and thephysical effort of the driver; and this mechanism is also so constitutedthat the steering operation may be effected solely by the physicaleffort of the driver in the event of the failure of the power means ofthe mechanism.

Describing now a part of the force transmitting means interconnectingthe power take-off mechanism, the drag link and the steering shaf t,said means includes a shaft I8 which is rotated in one direction or theother by means of the usual gearing 20 mounted at the base of thesteering post I5, said gearing being actuated by the shaft I4. A crank22, drivably connected to the shaft I8, is connected to a floating lever24 by means of a connecting link 26 and said lever is pivotallyconnected at its upper end to a pin 21 extending from the lower end of asupporting strap 28. The latter member is pivotally mounted upon a pin30 extending from the casing of the gear mechanism 20; and the lower endof the floating lever 24 is pivotally connected at 32 to the drag linkl2.

Describing now the principal feature of my invention, that is the powertake-oir mechanism i6. this mechanism includes a two part casing 34,Figure 2, having journalled therein a shaft 36 driven by the internalcombustion engine of the vehicle. A durable cone clutch member 38 isdrivably connected to the latter shaft, said member being selectivelymoved to the right or to the left by means of a shifter fork member 40which is secured to a rod 42 mounted at its ends within the casing 34;and said rod is connected, by a link 44, with the lever 24. When movedto the right, Figure 2, the clutch member 38 drivably contacts a clutchmember 46 drivably connected with a beveled gear member. 4B; and whenmoved to the left the clutch member 38 drivably contacts a clutch member50 drivably connected with a beveled gear member 52. The gear members 48and 52 and the clutch members connected thereto are rotatably mounted onthe drive shaft 36 and said gear members are in mesh with a ring gear54. It follows therefore that the ring gear is rotated in one directionor.

tionnwlththedraglinkll. this operation of the lever 2l the force tomovethelinkllis,atthistime,lessthanthe force necessary to move the draglink. Now when the lever 24 is rotated clockwise 1111s operation servesto drlvably interconnect the clutch membei-S38 andwhereupontheringgearilisrotated to eifect a counterclockwise rotation ofthe pitman arm 62 direction of the rotation of thedriveshaitbeingsuchastoeifectthisoperation; and this operation serves toplace the link 66 in compression to ellect a right turn operation of thedrag link l2.

If the driver arrests the movement of the steering wheel just after hehas completed the above described operation of the clutch mechanism 38,I6 then the resulting operation of the drag link ell'ects acolmterclockwise rotation of the lever 2l about its pivotal connectionwith the link 2i; and this operation serves to disconnect the clutchmembers 3l and 46 thereby automatically cutting the power take-omechanism I6 out of operation. In other words there is provided. by theabove described mechanism, a follow-up control of the power take-oil'mechanism IB whereby the driver may, by succesive turning operations ofthe steering wheel, effect, a step by step right tum steering operationof the front wheels of the vehicle;

Nowitistobenotedthatthepartsofthe above described mechanism are soconstructed and arranged and so operative that the driver may. byeil'ectlng a continuous turning movement of the steering wheel and byexerting a force upon said wheel greater than that necessary to maintainan engagement of the clutch mechanism, effect a combined power andmanual operation of the steering mechanism; and it is also to be notedthat should the power take-off mechanism fail in operation, then thesteering operation can be effected solely by the physical eiort of thedriver. Explaining the latter operation if the clutch member 38 isbrought into contact with either the clutch member 46 or the clutchmember 5B then it is impossible to eiIect any further movement of therod Il; and when this occurs. then the pin 21 becomes a ixed fulcrum forthe lever 24 and the rotation of said lever effects a manual operationof the steering mechanism.

The above described operation of the mechanism effects a right turnsteering operation of the front wheels of the vehicle and it followsfrom said description that a left turn operation of said wheels willresult when the steering wheel is rotated in a counterclockwisedirection.

'I'here is thus provided by the power take-oil mechanism of my inventiona simple and compact mechanism which is well adapted to be used in thesteering mechanism of an automotive vehicle; however, it is obvious thatmy invention may, without modiiication, be used to operate othermechanisms; for example, the arm Il of Figure l might serve to operate aclosure member.

I claim:

1. A power take-off mechanism adapted to be incorporated in the steeringmechanism of an automotive vehicle said mechanism including a casingmember, a drive shaft journalled in said casing, a ring gear within saidcasing, a. pitman arm, force transmitting means including a gear memberdrivably connected with the ring gear and a sector meshing with saidgear member and connected to the pitman arm, said force transmittingmeans interconnecting the pitman arm and ring gear, a plurality of bevelgears in mesh with the ring gear, and means mounted on the drive shaftfor selectively one or the other of said bevel gears.

2. A power take-oil mechanism adapted to be incorporated in the steeringmechanism of an automotive vehicle said mechanism including a casingmember, a drive shaft journalled in said casing, a ring gear within saidcasing, a pitman arm, a drag link connected to the pitman arm, forcetransmitting means, including a gear drivably connected with the ringgear and a sector connected with the pitman arm, interconnecting thepitman arm and ring gear, a plurality of bevel gears in mesh with thering gear, clutch means mounted on the drive shaft and operable toselectively drive one or the other of said bevel gears, and manuallyoperated control means connected to both the drag link and the clutchmams.

HAROLD W. PRICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED SIATES PATENTS

